Two Siberians

Out of Nowhere

2005-03-03

What a tale there is to tell behind the release of this compact disc. The story behind Out of Nowhere begins in the Middle of Nowhere. In order to locate the musicians who are Two Siberians (Artjom Yakushenko and Yuri Matveyev) you must talk about places such as Irkutsk, Mongolia, and Lake Baikal - Siberia, in other words.

Their story includes buskering via the Trans-Siberian Railway, putting it all on the line to pursue the American Dream in New York City, and moments like an impromptu Times Square concert where CD’s are instantly sold out to an amazed audience. Predictably, the story also includes rejection by record companies, and then, bizarrely, a record deal financed by the sale of meteorites. All true.

And then we have to talk about the music. It comes essentially from Yakushenko's electric violin and Matveyev's electric guitar, but producer Darryl Pitt recruited a cast of musicians from the jazz community to support the duo.

The compositions sometimes hint of Celtic and Flamenco influences, but they could only originate from the Russian soul. How else could you crown your songs with such titles as “On the Tundra,” “Natasha, Havana,” and “Vodka Diaries.”

Listen closely as you try to keep up with the break-neck tempo of most of the songs and you’ll be overwhelmed by the intricacy of the music and the virtuosity required to deliver it. Indeed, the performance of this set produces enough heat to melt the permafrost. Let’s all thank Mother Russia for giving birth to Two Siberians and let’s also thank the extraterrestrial forces that produced those meteorites . . . .

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